Album review: Chicago Stompers - The Greatest Hits

Band leader, multi-instrumentalist, festival director and more, Mauro Porro has led the Chicago Stompers for two decades. To mark the milestone, the man from Milan chose to re-record much of the material on the Stompers' two previous recordings - C. S. Stomp and Too Late - and in so doing, assembled a first rate ensemble. A fifteen-strong core, plus five guests (four of them vocalists, variously soprano, alto, tenor and baritone), seventeen tracks, The Greatest Hits is the finished product, described by Porro as 'a present to our fans'.

From Ellington's East St Louis Toodle-Oo through to the closing 'bonus track', King Oliver's West End Blues, the Chicago Stompers lovingly recreate the jazz of a century ago, the 'jazz age'. The ensemble work is first rate, as are the many finely crafted solo contributions. Principal vocalist Marcella Malacrida is featured on eight tracks and, for good measure, plays glockenspiel on (Oh!) Lady be Good. Four alto saxophonists complement one another with Lorenzo Baldasso especially prominent. Pasquale Gravela's cornet features on all seventeen sides (Porro's cornet can be heard on half a dozen cuts), Giorgio Gallina's trombone playing catches the ear and Paolo A. Vanzulli makes himself heard on tuba. Guest vocalists Chiara Pederzani and Veronica Sbergia join Marcella Malacrida to produce superb vocal harmonies on Sunday. Excellent!

Mauro Porro's mastery of several instruments - piano, clarinet, soprano sax, alto sax, cornet, kazoo - is clearly evident throughout the album's near sixty minutes' playing time. Daniele Fazio recorded, mixed and mastered the album. The Chicago Stompers' twentieth anniversary (2002-2022) album The Greatest Hits (CD 005) is available from: www.chicagostompers.it. Russell                   

      

Marcella Malacrida (vocals - 3, 5, 8, 11, 12, 14, 16, 17, glockenspiel 12); Martino Pellegrini (violin - 3-5, 8-12, 14, 16); Pasquale Gravela (cornet); Lorenzo Baldasso (alto sax - 1, 2,4-9, 11-17, clarinet 1, 2, 4-6, 8, 9, 12, 16,17); Davide Vincenzi (alto sax - 3, 10); Sophia Tomelleri (alto sax - 2, 3, 5-9, 11-17, clarinet - 2, 3, 6, 8-12, 14, 16, 17); Arturo Garra (tenor sax, clarinet - 2, 6, 8, 9, 12, 14, 16, 17); Giorgio Gallina (trombone); Mauro L. Porro (piano, clarinet - 17, soprano sax - 1, alto sax - 11, cornet - 1, 6, 7, 12, 14, 15, kazoo - 16, arrangements & transcriptions); Michele Rusconi (banjo - 2, 3, 6, 9, 13, 15-17, guitar - 8, 10, 11); Yuri Biscaro (guitar - 5, 7, 12, 14); Paolo Dellino (banjo - 1, 4); Paolo A. Vanzulli (tuba - 1-7, 9, 10, 12-17); Marco Rottoli (string bass - 8, 11); Fabrizio Carriero (drums, percussion, effects, washboard - 9) + Chiara Pederzani (soprano vocals - 14, 16); Veronica Sbergia (alto vocals - 14, 16); Doug Bowles (tenor vocals - 10); Drew Nugent (baritone vocals - 7, 13); Andrès Villani (alto sax - 1, 4)